Pulling post base

ABSTRACT

For use with a pulling post of the type used for applying tension via a chain to a damaged automobile, a base having retractable rollers is formed of two V-shape sections pivoted together at their apexes. One of the sections has a post socket. The sections are spring biased to pivot relative to one another and normally form an angle. When tension is applied via the chain, the base sections pivot contra to the spring bias and flatten out against the floor. Thus, all slack is removed from the chain before strong pulling force is applied.

United States Patent Buske Oct. 17, 1972 [54] PULLING POST BASE [72]Inventor: Ervin Buske, PO. Box 190, Gowrie, Primary Examiner ch?rlesLanham Iowa 50 5 Assistant Examiner-Michael J. Keenan Attorney-James H.Littlepage [22] Filed: June 28, 1971 Appl. No.: 157,505

[52] US. Cl ..72/386, 72/705 [51] Int. Cl. ..B2ld 9/14 [58] Field ofSearch ..72/705, 386, 293; 52/719; 287/49, 51,92

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,340,720 9/1967 Chartier..72/389 3,050,099 8/1962 Smith ..72/705 3,141,493 7/1964 Textor..72/705 5 7] ABSTRACT For use with a pulling post of the type used forapplying tension via a chain to a damaged automobile, a base havingretractable rollers is formed of two V- shape sections pivoted togetherat their apexes. One of the sections has a post socket. The sections arespring biased to pivot relative to one another and normally form anangle. When tension is applied via the chain, the base sections pivotcontra to the spring bias and flatten out against the floor. Thus, allslack is removed from the chain before strong pulling force is applied.

11 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDnm 17 I972 INVENTOR ERVJN BUSKE AORNEY PULLING POST BASE RELATED APPLICATION FIELD OF INVENTION MetalDeforrning, Vehicle body or frame straightener.

PRIOR ART Smith u.s. Pat. No. 3,050,099; Chartier US. Pat. No.3,340,720.

onuacrs Heretofore, pulling posts having bases withretractable castershave been devised so that the normally elevated base tends to flattendown against a floor when tension is applied to a damaged automobile.However, so far as is known, with all such prior devices, thearrangement is such that, if tension is suddenly relieved, the basetends to rise back up onits casters so that it can roll across thefloor, and, since great reactive powers are at play, the post and itsbase can cause much damage.

A further factor to be reckoned with is that all slack should be removedfrom both a pull chain and'a post anchoring chain before heavy pullingforces are applied, so as to avoid whipping or snapping of the chains,and also to avoid sudden re-location of the pulling post when greattension is applied.

The object now is to provide a pulling post and base, wherein the baseis deformed, against the force of a spring, somewhat from its normalconfiguration so that the base flattens out against a floor when pullingtension is applied. Retractable casters for the base are provided, butthese are rendered completely inoperative when the post is located at apulling station. Thus, if the pull-chain breaks, the base can resume itsnormal configuration, but it cannot roll about on its casters.

These and other objects will be apparent from the followingspecification and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the pulling post and base, with armsextended, casters retracted, and with the baseflat on a floor as theresult of tension applied to a pull chain;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one end of the base with armsretractedand casters extended;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the base in its FIG. 2 condition; and,

FIG. 4 is a cross-section along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals denotesimilar elements, the invention is concerned with the base 2 for apulling post 4. The pulling post may be of the type described inabandoned application Ser. No. 39,954 (supra) or, in modified form asillustrated in FIG. 1, the pulling post comprising a vertical column 6along which a sleeve 8 is adjustably retained by means of a pin 10selectively engageable in holes 12 on sleeve 8 and holes 14 on post 6.Extending laterally from one side of sleeve8 is a platform 16 comprisedof a pair of plates 18 rigidly affixed to sleeve 8 and having near itsouter end a sheave (not shown) rotatably mountedby a cross shaft 22. Anarm 24 is pivoted as at 26 to the upper end of sleeve 8 and a hydrauliccylinder 28 andpiston 30 connected to platform 16 and the outer end ofarm 24 by means of pins 32 are provided for forcing the outer end of arm24 upwardly. Tension is applied to a damaged vehicle by means of a pullchain 34 affixed to the outer end of arm 24 and rolling around thesheave on shaft 22. An, anchor chain 36 connectedto platform 16 by meansof across pin is secured to a floor pot 40. It is essential that therebe no slack in pull chain 34 or anchor chain 36 when pressure fluid isfed to hydraulic cylinder 28 via hydraulic line 41. Other types ofpulling posts can be used, but essentially they all are .likely to behazardous if a strong force is applied before chain slack is taken up.

Base 2 consists in two pairs of v-shaped arms 42 and 44 respectively.The members of each pair of arms are rigidly connected at their apex andthe free ends of the arms'are provided with telescopic extensions 46 and48. Over theapex of one pair of arms is affixed an upwardly open socket50for receiving vertical column 6. The apexes of the two pairs ofarmsare connected by horizontal pivot 52. Extending upwardly from arms44 are uprights 54. Compression springs 56 surround loose bolts 58 whichengage through uprights 54 and through angles 60 on socket 50. Springs56 areunder compression so as to force uprights 54 away from angles 60and thereby cock the pairs of arms 52 and 44 at slight angles to oneanother. This causes the apexes of the arm pairs to lift upwardly fromthe floor, and the heads and nuts on the bolts limit the extent towhichthe arms can pivot.

Caster assemblies 62 are provided for. the free ends of each pair of.arms. Each assembly consists of a plate 64 on which casters 66aremounted. Theends of the plates are pivoted as at 68 to the arms so thatthe casters 66 may be disposed either in the downwardly extendedposition of FIGS. 2 and 3 or in the upwardly retracted position ofFIG. 1. Retainingrods 70 engaging in sockets 72 on the plates areengageable with hooks 74 on thearms forholding the plates 64 in theposition to extend casters 66 downwardly.

In operation, when the assembly is to be moved from one location toanother, telescoping arm extensions 46 are retracted and casters 66 areextended in their FIG. 2 andFIG. 3 positions, and the assembly is rolledon the floor to a working station. There the telescoping extensions 46of the arms are pulled out, retaining rods 70 are unhooked and theplates 64 are pivoted so as to swing casters 66 up to their FIG. 1positions. Anchor chain 36 is hooked onto anchor pot 40, and the freeend of pull chain 34 is connected to the part of the vehicle to whichtension is to be applied. However, at this point, there is normallyslack in one or both the pull chain 34 and/or anchor chain 36. Somepressure fluid is then introduced via hydraulic line 41 into cylinder28. As preliminary tension is applied via the chains, post 6 swings tothe right as seen in FIG. 1, thereby compressing springs 56 and thuscausing the V- shaped arm pairs 42 and 44 to flatten out against thefloor. Thus, the slack is taken out of the chains before great pullingforces are applied.

I claim:

1. A base for a pulling post, comprising,

a first pair of arms having a connection at one end and having free endsextending generally in one direction,

a second pair of arms having a connection at one end and having freeends extending generally in the opposite direction,

said arms being adapted to rest upon a floor, means for supporting apulling post on one of the pairs of arms,

horizontal pivot means connecting the connection between the respectivepairs of arms,

and spring means for biasing said pairs of arms to pivot about saidpivot means whereby, when said arms are disposed on a floor, theconnected ends thereof tend to rise above the floor, and when ahorizontal pull is applied in one direction to the post, said pairs ofarms rotate about said horizontal pivot means contra to the bias andflatten out against the floor.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1, and retractable casters on saidpairs of arms.

3. The combination claimed in claim 2, the arms in each pair being inV-configuration and the connections therebetween being at the apexes ofthe Vs.

4. The combinationed claimed in claim 2, the retractable casters beingdisposed between the free ends of the arms.

5. The combination claimed in claim 4, said casters being retractablefrom an extended position in which they support the free ends of the.arms on the floor to a retracted position in which the casters aresupported entirely free of the floor.

6. The combination claimed in claim 3, and telescopic extensions for thefree ends of the arms.

7. A base for a pulling post, comprising a first pair of arms disposedin V-configuration rigidly connected at the apex of the V,

a second pair of arms disposed in V-configuration rigidly connected atthe apex of the V,

said pairsof arms being adapted to be disposed on a floor with the freeends of the arms inone pair extending oppositely from the free ends ofthe arms of the other pair, and with the apexes of the V's disposedadjacent one another,

an upwardly open post socket rigidly affixed on one pair of armsadjacent the apex thereof, a horizontal pivot connecting the pairs ofarms at the apexes thereof,

and spring means engaged between the pairs of arms for biasing the pairsof arms to pivot in a direction tending to cause the apexes thereof torise above the floor.

8. The combination claimed in claim 7, and means for limiting thespring-biased movement of the arms.

9. The combination claimed in claim 7, and retractable caster means forsupporting the free ends of the arms.

10. The combination claimed in claim 9, said retractable caster meanscomprising a plate disposed across the free ends of the arms, casters onone side of the plate, and pivots connecting the ends of the plate withthe free ends of an arm pair, whereby the casters can be swung between adownwardly extended position in which they engage the floor and anupwardly extended position in which they are entirely free of the fl Thecombination claimed in claim 10, and telescopic extensions for the freeends of the arms.

1. A base for a pulling post, comprising, a first pair of arms having aconnection at one end and having free ends extending generally in onedirection, a second pair of arms having a connection at one end andhaving free ends extending generally in the opposite direction, saidarms being adapted to rest upon a floor, means for supporting a pullingpost on one of the pairs of arms, horizontal pivot means connecting theconnection between the respective pairs of arms, and spring means forbiasing said pairs of arms to pivot about said pivot means whereby, whensaid arms are disposed on a floor, the connected ends thereof tend torise above the floor, and when a horizontal pull is applied in onedirection to the post, said pairs of arms rotate about said horizontalpivot means contra to the bias and flatten out against the floor.
 2. Thecombination claimed in claim 1, and retractable casters on said pairs ofarms.
 3. The combination claimed in claim 2, the arms in each pair beingin V-configuration and the connections therebetween being at the apexesof the V''s.
 4. The combinationed claimed in claim 2, the retractablecasters being disposed between the free ends of the arms.
 5. Thecombination claimed in claim 4, said casters being retractable from anextended position in which they support the free ends of the arms on thefloor to a retracted position in which the casters are supportedentirely free of the floor.
 6. The combination claimed in claim 3, andtelescopic extensions for the free ends of the arms.
 7. A base for apulling post, comprising a first pair of arms disposed inV-configuration rigidly connected at the apex of the V, a second pair ofarms disposed in V-configuration rigidly connected at the apex of the V,said pairs of arms being adapted to be disposed on a floor with the freeends of the arms in one pair extending oppositely from the free ends ofthe arms of the other pair, and with the apexes of the V''s disposedadjacent one another, an upwardly open post socket rigidly affixed onone pair of arms adjacent the apex thereof, a horizontal pivotconnecting the pairs of arms at the apexes thereof, and spring meansengaged between the pairs of arms for biasing the pairs of arms to pivotin a direction tending to cause the apexes thereof to rise above thefloor.
 8. The combination claimed in claim 7, and means for limiting thespring-biased movement of the arms.
 9. The combination claimed in claim7, and retractable caster means for supporting the free ends of thearms.
 10. The combination claimed in claim 9, said retractable castermeans comprising a plate disposed across the free ends of the arms,casters on one side of the plate, and pivots connecting the ends of theplate with the free ends of an arm pair, whereby the casters can beswung between a downwardly extended position in which they engage thefloor and an upwardly extended position in which they are entirely freeof the floor.
 11. The combination claimed in claim 10, and telescopicextensions for the free ends of the arms.